Context
Published in 1847, Jane Eyre was a popular success. Although many women writers were read by the Victorian public, true literary respectability required a masculine name; hence Brontë used the pseudonym “Currer Bell.”
The popularity of this intelligent novel should force one to reconsider the often belittled and maligned tastes of the largely female reading public of the period. One can imagine that the novel appealed to women then, and today, because it reflects the frustratingly limiting condition of women in the nineteenth century. Although the novel’s end suggests a happy, typically Victorian domestic solution to Jane’s problems—the reconciliation of Jane and Rochester—this conclusion does not assuage the more pervasive difficulties that Jane encounters in defining her identity as a woman within nineteenth-century constraints.
For example, Jane’s job as a governess exemplifies only one confusing female role in the 1800s. Women had very few alternatives for survival. If not supported by a father or a husband, an educated, middle-class woman likely was forced to become a governess, a position of lifelong servitude and repression of personal desires.
As a woman who possesses the education, tastes, and behaviors of upper-class decorum so that she can teach them to her charges, the governess was frustrated to be treated as simply another household servant. Much of Jane’s confusion about her identity at Thornfield stems from her contradictory role as a governess.
Marriage, however, was no saving grace. Jane expresses the very modern fear, practically unheard of in the nineteenth century, of losing her identity in marriage. She resists compromising her identity and denigrating herself in conforming to Rochester’s idea of a wife. In her wedding dress, she does not recognize herself before the mirror, nor can she write “Mrs. Rochester” on her luggage. As St. John’s wife, she fears she would be “always restrained, and always checked—forced to keep the fire of my nature continually low.”
When Rochester is maimed and socially ruined, essentially bringing his physical strength and social position equal to that of Jane, the threat of domination no longer exists. Jane announces her decision in the powerful, self-asserting words of the final chapter: “Reader, I married him.”
Historical Context
Bronte's England: The Social Context
Jane Eyre is set in northern England during the first half of the
nineteenth century. At this time, British society was experiencing gradual yet
significant changes. One of the most noticeable shifts was the move from a
rural to an industrial economy. The Industrial Revolution, which began in
Britain in the late 1700s, was in full swing by the time Jane Eyre was
written. Although Charlotte Bronte explored some consequences of the Industrial
Revolution in her 1849 novel Shirley, she addresses three main social
issues in Jane Eyre: education, women's employment, and marriage.
Victorian perspectives on education were very different from those in contemporary America. Education levels were largely dictated by social class and gender. Boys and girls were educated separately across all societal levels and within the education system. Children from poor or working-class families attended local schools, like the one where Jane Eyre works as a schoolmistress. These children typically only learned basic skills, with most instruction being rote memorization.
Many of these children would leave school in their early teens to work on farms or in factories; boys might also join the army or navy. In contrast, upper- and upper-middle-class families aimed to enroll their sons in prestigious private schools (ironically called public schools). However, conditions in these schools could be as harsh as those in institutions for orphans and the poor, such as Lowood Institution in Jane Eyre.
A public school education served as a gateway into high society; graduates from these schools often occupied the upper echelons of government and professional sectors. Nearly all young men who attended university (i.e., college) had first gone to public schools. Women, however, were barred from universities until the 1870s, with the first women graduating from an English university in 1874, when four women earned degrees from Cambridge University.
Young children from upper-class and upper-middle-class families—both boys and girls—often received their initial education from governesses. These governesses were women hired as live-in tutors, teaching a range of subjects until the children were old enough to attend school. Typically, governesses were daughters of middle-class or professional families who had achieved a certain level of education. While the job of a governess was not financially lucrative, it was considered respectable.
The working conditions for governesses varied depending on the family employing them. Some parents treated their governess with respect as a professional, while others viewed them as little more than servants expected to stay in their place.
During that era, traditional curricula for girls and young women excluded "serious" subjects like mathematics, science, or the classics. Instead, they were instructed in grammar, history, geography, and French. Art, music, and sewing or embroidery were also deemed suitable subjects. Additionally, young women were expected to be knowledgeable about the Bible and basic Christian teachings. These subjects were taught by both governesses and at schools. Although Jane Eyre may not be a conventional governess, it is evident that she has a strong grasp of most of these subjects. By the mid-nineteenth century, around twenty-five thousand women in England were employed as governesses.
Jane Eyre presents various perspectives on marriage. The union between Rochester and Bertha is more a product of Gothic fiction than reality, and even the marriage between Rochester and Jane might have been more of an anomaly than typical. Perhaps the novel's most historically accurate portrayal of marriage in early Victorian England is seen in the unions that are considered but never materialize. For instance, the proposed marriage between Rochester and Blanche Ingram would have been seen as suitable by many Victorians since both individuals belonged to the same social class. Similarly, a potential marriage between Jane and St. John Rivers would not have been uncommon. In such a marriage, Rivers would gain a "helpmeet" to share his responsibilities, while the woman would have the chance to establish her own home, start a family, and engage in meaningful work.
Expert Q&A
In Jane Eyre, does the setting reflect the politics of the time?
The setting of Jane Eyre reflects the political and social conditions of the Victorian era, including education, medicine, and class and gender divisions. The novel depicts educational reforms, such as Lowood Institution, and highlights medical issues like typhus outbreaks. It also addresses class struggles and gender inequality, with Jane Eyre challenging social norms as an independent woman. These elements mirror the political milieu of the time, including Chartist unrest and limited social mobility.
Is Jane Eyre written in old, middle, or modern English?
Feminist Critique of Victorian Society in Jane Eyre
Jane Eyre critiques Victorian society's treatment of women and marriage by challenging conventional norms. It illustrates the limitations of class-based marriages, as seen in Rochester's unhappy union with Bertha, and portrays Jane's marriage to Rochester as one of choice and love, transcending class barriers. However, Jane's role as Rochester's caretaker can be seen as anti-feminist. Her rejection of becoming Rochester's mistress highlights her resistance to societal norms, raising questions about feminism's alignment with social conventions.
Social Sensitivity
Jane Eyre delves into the struggles faced by individuals constrained by law, societal norms, and social status, leading lives not of their own choosing. Much like Charlotte Bronte, Jane Eyre resents being dominated by those she considers inferior but channels this resentment into the energy necessary for her survival and journey toward independence. The novel examines the power of religion to both enlighten and corrupt, illustrated through Jane's heartfelt prayers and the contrasting careers of Brocklehurst and St. John Rivers. In each scenario, religion's social value is portrayed as intertwined with the individual's motivations.
One of the novel's most socially pertinent issues is its implicit advocacy for women's rights. Mirroring Charlotte Bronte's own experiences, Jane battles for basic recognition despite her artistic, social, and professional skills surpassing those of most of her adversaries.
Compare and Contrast
- 1840s: Like many other artistic and intellectual fields,
novel writing was predominantly seen as a male domain. Women like the Bronte
sisters, George Eliot (Mary Ann Evans), and George Sand (Amandine-Aurore
Lucille Dupin) in France, used male pseudonyms to ensure their work was taken
seriously.
Today: Many of Britain's leading novelists are women, who are regarded as equals to their male peers. Prominent British female novelists include A. S. (Antonia) Byatt, P. D. (Phyllis) James, Iris Murdoch, and Muriel Spark.
- 1840s: Wealthy families often hired women as governesses
to educate and oversee their children at home. By 1851, around twenty-five
thousand women were employed as governesses in Britain. While being a governess
was considered respectable, opportunities for career advancement were limited.
Today: Some young women take temporary jobs abroad as "au pairs," where they supervise a family's children in exchange for room, board, and wages. Although these positions are low-paying, they offer young women the chance to travel and gain life experience before pursuing other careers or continuing their education.
- 1840s: An average English governess or school teacher
earned between fifteen to thirty pounds annually.
Today: By 1995, the standard weekly salary for teachers in England had risen to 420 pounds.
- 1840s: Preschool education was almost nonexistent.
Today: Nearly two-thirds of three and four-year-olds in Britain attend nursery school.
- 1847: College admissions were restricted to young men,
primarily from the upper class.
Today: Nearly one in three teenagers goes on to attend college. Higher education is free for all students in Britain, eliminating the need for young people to work their way through college.
- 1840s: Haworth was a small, isolated hilltop town with
local industry centered around textile mills.
Today: Haworth thrives on tourism, attracting more than two hundred and fifty thousand visitors each year. Many tourists visit the Bronte Parsonage, which features a museum with original manuscripts and drawings by Charlotte Bronte and her siblings. The museum also showcases interesting artifacts, such as Charlotte's wedding dress and her tiny gloves.
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